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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — for catching
  6. scale — in music
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. content — happy
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — videos and posts

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