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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mug — a cup
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — a path
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — a country
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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