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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — the amount
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — a line
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a document
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — certain
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mark — to pay attention

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