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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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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: foot · deal · mate · content · charge · rock · rash · jam

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — happy
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — electricity
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mate — to breed
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — an agreement

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