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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — a price
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ball — a great time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — the amount
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. charge — electricity

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