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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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