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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to click
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — a position
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — there

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