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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 124 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — happy
  6. face — to point toward
  7. staff — a stick
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — in a road
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to confront
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — electricity

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