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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — employees

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