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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. charge — a price
  3. staff — a stick
  4. charge — electricity
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — help
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. suit — in cards
  10. scale — in music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. charge — in control
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — happy

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