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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stand — to bear
  3. land — to come down
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. land — a country
  13. tube — a container
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. swing — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. land — ground
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — the underground
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chip — in a computer

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