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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. club — a group
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — for golf
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. toast — bread
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — a break

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