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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — a container
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — in a computer

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