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

Word bank: tube · bowl · chip · rest · toast · suit · kid · jam

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. toast — bread
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. suit — in cards
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tube — in a tire

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