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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — a measure
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — animal skin

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