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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 · mouse · charge · deal · clip · can · race · rock

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — to cut
  3. content — the amount
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — music
  8. clip — a video
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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