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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — government
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. file — a document
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — in control
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. craft — a handicraft

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