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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a skill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pound — a weight

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