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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · safe · sharp · bore · club · tube · chip · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — a container
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for golf
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for dancing

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