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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a list
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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