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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — a lid
  14. drill — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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