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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stand — to bear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. key — the most important part
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — to dunk

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