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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. charge — a price
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a committee
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mouse — the animal

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