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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: tube · chest · object · ball · drill · chip · track · hand

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — a thing
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chest — a box
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a song

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