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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cell — a phone
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — shares
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. plane — a tool

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