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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. content — happy
  8. bank — for money
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. game — wild animals
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — the amount
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. game — a match

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