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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: present · can · object · spring · stock · content · chip · snap

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — there
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. present — a gift
  19. stock — goods
  20. object — an aim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. object — a thing
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. content — the amount

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