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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — the amount
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — happy
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bound — tied together
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cap — a hat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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