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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: content · bat · suit · mug · arm · clip · charge · chip

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. content — the amount
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — happy
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. clip — a video
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bat — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — to cut

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