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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — to be able to
  4. roll — a list
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — happy
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — a subject
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — for sport
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. roll — a cake

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