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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — the amount
  12. charge — a price
  13. rule — government
  14. roll — a list
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. game — a match
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rule — a law
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — a cake
  24. current — of water

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