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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — child
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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