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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — the amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. charge — a price
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — for catching
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — of ice
  22. drill — a practice
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — belonging to me

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