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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. charge — in control
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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