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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tube — a container
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — to eat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. board — to get on
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — to move gently

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