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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
468
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: tube · bore · fan · cell · object · racket · cap · mine

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — an aim
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. tube — a container

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