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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — an agreement

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