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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. content — happy
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — low music

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