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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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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: fall · can · date · key · content · bear · chip · calf

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — the season
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — the most important part
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bear — to put up with

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