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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — the tool

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