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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — a container
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  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