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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · game · chest · racket · chip · nail · prune · mug

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a match
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chest — a box
  8. chip — for betting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a face

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