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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — for baseball

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