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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tube — a container
  24. bat — in an idiom

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