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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — in sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cue — a signal
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — to bend
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — in control
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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