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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — a container
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — the season
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — happening now
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — to eat

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