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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — in control
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — a break
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a match
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — happy
  24. branch — of a bank

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