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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. content — happy
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — for betting
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. suit — clothes
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — an agreement

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