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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. file — a tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — a thing
  14. swing — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — a country
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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