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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — in control
  10. key — for a lock
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a partner
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — the fish
  21. key — in music
  22. firm — steady
  23. mate — to breed
  24. firm — a company

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