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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — for a lock
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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