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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. content — the amount
  11. clip — to cut
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rock — a stone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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