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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. content — the amount
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — happy
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — hasty
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. jam — in traffic

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