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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · lie · net · content · fine · squash · charge · dip

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — for catching
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — to recline
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a song
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fine — high quality
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to dunk

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