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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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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: cell · toast · content · charge · leaves · pitch · bay · cold

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cell — in biology
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — bread
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — in control
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. charge — a price
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. charge — electricity
  20. content — happy
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cold — an illness

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