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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — in sport

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