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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — to tease
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kid — child
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — low music

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