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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for golf
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. toast — bread
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — the amount

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