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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — to go on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — to tire
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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