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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a line of people
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. swing — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. swing — to play on
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — to eat
  17. content — happy
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — in music
  24. swing — in golf

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