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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: key · spell · racket · content · present · tear · hide · charge

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. content — happy

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