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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: chip · dip · ground · bore · tube · calf · band · race

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bore — to tire
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a music group
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. bore — to drill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. race — a contest
  23. band — a ring
  24. calf — a young animal

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