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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.

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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — the amount
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ball — a dance
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a line of people
  15. charge — electricity
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — happy
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. content — videos and posts

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