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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: racket · capital · lash · mug · content · net · charge · perch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — a cup
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in 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