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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. craft — boats
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. craft — a skill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. hand — in cards
  23. content — happy
  24. hand — help

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