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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — to keep track
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mate — to breed

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