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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 120 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: sharp · tube · board · foot · bank · wave · pit · kid

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. board — to get on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — part of the body

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