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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a document
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ball — a great time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. content — videos and posts

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