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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mate — a friend
  3. content — happy
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — to bear
  14. land — a country
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — ground
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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