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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — happy
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — a path
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — for betting
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. dip — to sink

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