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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — happy
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — for betting
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — soda
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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