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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — to eat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — the amount
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. content — happy
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury

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