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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — a gift
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — electricity
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — in music
  17. content — happy
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — size or range

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