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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — electric
  16. tube — the underground
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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