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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — for golf
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. scale — in music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — the underground
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — size or range

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