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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · arm · chip · net · mug · land · nail · root

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — a cup
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — the amount
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — to come down
  24. content — videos and posts

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