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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stock — shares
  13. content — the amount
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting

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