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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. content — happy
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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