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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: content · firm · cell · fork · nail · staff · chip · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — a phone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — in biology
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. firm — steady

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