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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. charge — a price
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. content — happy
  22. can — a tin
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — the earth

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