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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · chip · dip · jam · content · pitch · stock · kid

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. content — happy
  9. stock — shares
  10. kid — to tease
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. content — the amount
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stock — goods
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — for betting

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