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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chip — for betting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — the amount
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — for a hammer

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