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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — all right
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. degree — temperature
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. degree — from a university

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