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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: rash · ground · mine · leaves · toast · charge · content · mouse

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. toast — bread
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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