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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ground — crushed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — a position
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — to eat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. press — a publisher
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a match
  16. sharp — clever
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. content — happy
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hide — animal skin

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