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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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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 · trunk · ball · firm · calf · content · cap · snap

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. firm — steady
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — in control
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — happy
  19. charge — electricity
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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