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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — to eat
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — a division
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tube — a container
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — in a race

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