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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — to eat
  4. club — for dancing
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — a group
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — a stick

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