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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — soda
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — all right
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — a hat
  23. last — to go on
  24. can — a tin

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