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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. content — the amount
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ground — the earth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cell — a phone
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cap — a hat

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