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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — a country
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — a container
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — ground

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