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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — the time now
  4. key — in music
  5. present — there
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — a gift
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cabinet — ministers

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