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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitch — completely
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — in a tire

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