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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — a container
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fall — to drop
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — a path
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fall — the season

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