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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a face
  24. pit — in a race

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