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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — a short time
  3. content — the amount
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. degree — from a university
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. content — happy
  20. charge — electricity
  21. degree — temperature
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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