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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 116 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 · ruler · tube · staff · root · pitcher · scale · chip

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — for betting
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — to eat
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — to tire
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — in music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — in a computer

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