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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — soda
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a match
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. toast — bread
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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