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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: can · bore · cap · shower · tube · track · chair · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — to drill
  3. track — a song
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a hat
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — clever

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