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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: ground · content · craft · jam · wound · charge · pit · chip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ground — a position
  8. content — happy
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chip — for betting
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — in a race
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — electricity
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wound — an injury

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