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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
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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 · fork · mine · land · can · roll · straw · content

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. land — ground
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — the amount
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. land — to come down
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — a straw man

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