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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — in a road
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. charge — electricity
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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