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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. content — happy
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — the month
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — music

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