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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. content — happy
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. last — final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — to go on
  24. content — the amount

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