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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
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: bear · content · season · jam · mug · game · saw · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — a match
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a cup
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. mug — a face
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. season — 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