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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — a weight
  4. content — happy
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bank — for money

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