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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to confront
  18. land — ground
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bound — obliged
  24. face — to point toward

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