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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a path
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — for golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — a song

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