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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. charge — electricity
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — help

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