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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — a group
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. club — for golf
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — a list
  24. mine — for digging

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