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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. tube — a container
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bore — to drill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a match
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. current — electric
  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