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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ground — the earth
  19. net — for catching
  20. stock — goods
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. content — happy
  24. net — in sport

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