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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a cake
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a lid
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. content — the amount
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — to eat
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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