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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — happy

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