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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 120 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: race · fall · bore · mouse · mug · pit · tube · bowl

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fall — the season
  24. bore — gave birth

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