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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — happy
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — the amount
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — in control
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. object — to protest
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — a group
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — bread
  21. club — for golf
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bear — the animal

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