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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · drill · tube · pit · field · chip · rock · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — there
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. field — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — a container
  24. pit — in a race

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