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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bat — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — to come down
  22. content — happy
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. deal — an agreement

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