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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — of water
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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