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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — for sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pop — soda
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. court — of law
  15. degree — an amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. roll — a list
  18. degree — temperature
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pop — music
  24. court — of a king

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