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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — for catching
  3. swing — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — the underground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — a cup
  24. calf — a young 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