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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — the time now
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — happy
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — there
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pop — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. deal — to handle
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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