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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pop — music
  21. rule — government
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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