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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — for betting
  10. kick — in football
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kick — with a leg

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