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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — a box
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a face
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — to eat
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — there
  24. game — a kind of play

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