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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — happy
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a great time
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — to be able to
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — the animal

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