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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bound — tied together

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