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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rule — government
  12. game — a match
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — happy
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. press — to push
  18. march — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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