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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — certain

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