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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — decided
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — of a word
  12. file — a tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — the cause
  16. file — a document
  17. present — there
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a dance
  23. present — the time now
  24. root — of a plant

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