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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — happy
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — money
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — an agreement

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