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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — certain
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. toast — 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