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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — the amount
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. press — a publisher
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — happy
  19. press — to push
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — letters

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