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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. content — happy
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — a container

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