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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — for catching
  3. roll — a list
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. net — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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