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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — a series
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — a container
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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