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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chip — to eat
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chip — for betting
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — to visit
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — exactly

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