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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — decided
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chip — for betting
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — steady
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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