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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: content · swing · rest · fan · mouse · charge · stock · patient

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — the amount
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — happy
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — to cool the air

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