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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · kid · rock · track · jam · content · foot · cabinet

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. track — a path
  6. content — the amount
  7. rock — music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — a price
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kid — to tease
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — a song
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. content — happy
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — part of the body

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