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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — the underground

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