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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cap — a hat
  6. content — the amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. content — happy
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tear — from crying

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