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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 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. court — of law
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of a king
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — to 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