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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: bass · bore · land · mine · stock · deal · tube · racket

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bass — the fish
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the instrument

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