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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 116 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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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: chip · can · hand · rest · wave · pit · season · content

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pit — in a race
  7. content — the amount
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rest — a break
  13. hand — help
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — a tin

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