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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — the time now
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. present — a gift
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a music group
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. present — there
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to click

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