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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cue — a signal
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — to rule out

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