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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. club — for golf
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — a leader
  7. scale — size or range
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitch — completely
  16. club — a group
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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