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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
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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: season · pit · content · rule · charge · mug · foot · last

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. last — final
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. last — finally
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — a price
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rule — a law
  19. season — of the year
  20. charge — in control
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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