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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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