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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. content — the amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. last — final
  9. charge — a price
  10. degree — an amount
  11. last — finally
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com