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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. tube — a container
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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