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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. chip — to eat
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. content — the amount
  9. pop — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — happy
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — a division
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — a weight
  24. key — in music

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