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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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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: toast · roll · chip · kid · content · track · pass · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. kid — to tease
  5. roll — a list
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. toast — bread
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to click
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. track — a path
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — for betting
  21. content — the amount
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — to eat
  24. roll — a cake

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