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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: chip · pit · sharp · spell · content · mate · present · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — there
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chip — for betting
  21. content — happy
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — magic
  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