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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a hole
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — a song
  10. cold — not warm
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cold — an illness
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tube — a container
  20. staff — employees
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — in a computer

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