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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — for betting
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — happy
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a great time

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