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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — a price
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — to point toward
  20. content — happy
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a signal
  23. charge — in control
  24. perch — for a bird

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