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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — for betting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. court — of law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — in a road
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — a path
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. fork — to eat with

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