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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a path
  23. tube — a container
  24. bore — to tire

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