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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — government
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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