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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — happy
  7. date — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stem — to come from
  11. content — the amount
  12. hand — help
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — a thing
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. object — an aim

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