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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — to put up with

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