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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bat — for baseball

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