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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — to wash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — rain
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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