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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — finally
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — a face
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a cup
  19. last — to go on
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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