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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — a position
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — to eat

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