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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chip — to eat
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. current — electric
  11. content — happy
  12. net — for catching
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — the amount
  16. stock — goods
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. toast — bread
  21. current — happening now
  22. net — after costs
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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