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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — a path
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — letters
  16. tube — the underground
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bank — for money
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — to spend time

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