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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. charge — in control
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. charge — electricity
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — of law
  16. perch — the fish
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. chip — to eat
  21. content — happy
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — to sink
  24. season — of the year

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