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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. charge — a price
  24. pass — to spend time

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