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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — to breed
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — a container
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — the animal

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