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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. charge — electricity
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. club — for dancing
  6. content — the amount
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. content — happy
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — a price
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — hurry

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