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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: content · pound · net · jam · mine · stick · charge · perch

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. charge — a price
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. content — the amount

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