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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — for digging
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — for catching
  16. cap — a hat
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — a stick
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — after costs

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