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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — for betting
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — a permit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — in a computer

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