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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. march — the month
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — an injury
  11. march — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — an injury

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