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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 120 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — a container
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — for betting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — after costs
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — a line
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. net — in sport

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