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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
468
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: stick · content · file · game · ground · chip · plane · squash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ground — a position
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. content — happy
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. plane — a tool

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