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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: bore · tube · deal · mark · clip · bowl · suit · toast

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tube — the underground
  24. clip — a video

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