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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — the amount
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. shower — to wash
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — rain
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spell — letters
  13. chip — to eat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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