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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — for measuring

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