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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — to come down
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. land — ground
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pit — in a race

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