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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click

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