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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — the amount
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — to eat

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