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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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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: clip · vault · jam · tear · bay · content · charge · ground

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — a position
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — crushed
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — a video
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — to rip
  23. clip — for paper
  24. content — happy

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