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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — a list
  5. content — happy
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — the amount
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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