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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — a law
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — a match
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — government
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — to go on

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