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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rock — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — a lid

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