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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a document
  7. spring — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a line of people
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — a coil

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