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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to click
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stock — shares
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — a hole
  22. content — the amount
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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