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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. content — the amount
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — happy
  15. stock — goods
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — 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