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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — final
  3. tube — a container
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — a song
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. mate — a partner

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