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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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