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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. perch — the fish
  5. last — finally
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. charge — a price
  22. last — final
  23. content — happy
  24. game — a match

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