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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — electric
  4. net — for catching
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — size or range
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — after costs

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