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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: net · cabinet · track · chip · saw · coach · lie · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. track — a path
  19. content — happy
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — to eat

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