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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. charge — a price
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stock — goods
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — in control
  12. content — the amount
  13. charge — electricity
  14. content — happy
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitch — completely
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mate — a partner
  23. court — for sport
  24. mate — to breed

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