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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. snap — to click
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. present — there
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. content — happy
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — the time now
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — a group
  20. charge — in control
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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