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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — to eat
  14. season — in sport
  15. track — a path
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — a match
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — for betting

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