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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — a gift
  4. content — the amount
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. degree — temperature
  8. present — there
  9. degree — an amount
  10. content — happy
  11. degree — from a university
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — to rip
  16. present — the time now
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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