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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: ball · content · pit · wound · bay · lean · pass · charge

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — a price
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a dance

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