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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — a supporter

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