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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: bowl · season · toast · charge · rash · mouse · bound · content

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — in control
  13. season — of the year
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bound — certain
  24. toast — bread

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