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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — a lid
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — of water
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — hasty

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