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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 120 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: squash · game · season · deal · content · fan · bound · charge

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — certain
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — in control

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