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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitcher — a jug

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