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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — ground
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. land — a country
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — an aim
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — a company
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. kick — in football

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