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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. vault — a safe
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — money
  9. track — a song
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — happy
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. content — the amount
  24. present — the time now

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