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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — to eat
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to click
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. content — happy
  13. bore — to drill
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — the amount
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — the fish

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