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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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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: content · chip · band · squash · lean · pit · sharp · cap

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. band — a ring
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. band — a music group
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — in a race
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — thin
  24. sharp — clever

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