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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hand — help
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. board — a flat piece

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