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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — the animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. key — in music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a song
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stock — goods
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — happy
  24. key — the most important part

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