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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — the fish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. content — the amount
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. charge — a price
  16. firm — decided
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — of the year
  20. charge — in control
  21. bat — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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