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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — finally
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. last — final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. hand — help
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — the amount
  15. kid — child
  16. content — happy
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. suit — to fit

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