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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: sharp · chip · fine · tube · object · safe · bark · bore

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — an aim
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — high quality

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