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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. plane — a tool

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