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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: mouse · content · spring · row · fine · charge · pit · staff

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — happy
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — all right
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — high quality
  21. charge — in control
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — to paddle

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