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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — to visit

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