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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fine — all right
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — a committee
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — the month
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stand — to bear

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