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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: mouse · tube · can · pound · chest · saw · root · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — a container
  22. chest — a box
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — the tool

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