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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. craft — boats
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — government
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. dip — a sauce

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