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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — a container
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — happy
  13. capital — money
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — to rob

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