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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. content — happy
  8. spring — a coil
  9. roll — a cake
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — a face
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a committee
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spring — of water
  17. board — to get on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. roll — a list
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — videos and posts

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