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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — certain
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bound — obliged
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — the underground

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