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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — crushed
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spell — letters
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spell — magic

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