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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — of water
  9. row — to paddle
  10. current — electric
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — happening now
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. squash — the sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. squash — to crush

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