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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. march — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — in a computer

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