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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rule — government
  10. squash — to crush
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rule — a law
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of a tree

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