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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — happy
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a path
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cue — a hint
  24. track — to keep track

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