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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 116 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: chip · nail · content · ground · sharp · file · plane · staff

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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 — videos and posts
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — for betting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ground — a position
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — happy
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — crushed
  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