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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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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: rule · fork · bore · tube · hide · kid · pitcher · squash

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kid — child
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — to tire
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — a container
  23. rule — government
  24. pitcher — a jug

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