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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — happy
  11. date — the fruit
  12. object — to protest
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. file — a document
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — a thing
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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