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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — after costs
  13. drill — army training
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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