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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 124 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — for betting
  4. toast — bread
  5. march — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — for catching
  18. tube — a container
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. present — there
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — a gift

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