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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — there
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. content — the amount
  18. present — a gift
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chip — for betting

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