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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — a law
  10. chip — for betting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. rule — government
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ground — crushed

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