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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — for digging
  5. band — a music group
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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