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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.

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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: content · stick · last · object · hide · charge · scale · deal

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — to protest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — to go on
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. charge — a price
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — electricity
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — in control
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. object — a thing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — final
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — finally

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