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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — a container
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — the time now
  10. ground — the earth
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chip — for betting

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