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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chest — a box
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chip — for betting
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a list
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. last — finally
  22. mate — a friend
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — in a tire

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