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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — shares
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — in control
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. content — the amount
  16. march — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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