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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chip — for betting
  18. present — there
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — a gift
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mine — for digging

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