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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — a city
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — electric
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — the season
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tear — from crying

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