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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — soda
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fork — in a road
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — happy
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — a garden tool

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