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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — in music
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chip — for betting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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