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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — a division
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — a phone
  24. hand — in cards

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