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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
468
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: saw · charge · mug · scale · field · lash · content · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — all right
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — happy
  7. field — farmland
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — in control
  19. mug — a face
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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