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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bat — the animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — happy
  16. craft — boats
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — for baseball

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