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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tube — in a tire

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