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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · pop · tube · straw · date · chip · saw · pit

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — a container
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — magic
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pop — soda
  17. date — the fruit
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pop — to visit

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