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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — for betting
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — to play on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mouse — the animal

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