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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. roll — a list
  9. chip — to eat
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — for betting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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