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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. kid — to tease
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — child
  18. tear — from crying
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — a container

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