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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — steady
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. firm — decided
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — a company

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