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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — a container
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bat — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. plane — a tool
  8. content — happy
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — to visit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. content — the amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pop — soda
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. key — in music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pop — music

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