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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bank — of a river
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. content — happy
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. date — the fruit

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