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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mate — a friend
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. present — there
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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