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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: net · charge · rash · content · pop · bowl · deal · mark

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rash — a series
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pop — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — in control
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — the amount
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — a price
  20. content — happy
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — to visit

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