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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — a committee
  6. stock — goods
  7. content — the amount
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. scale — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — shares
  13. mine — for digging
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — happy
  24. mine — an explosive

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