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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: foot · bore · craft · charge · clip · pitch · tube · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. tube — a container
  4. clip — for paper
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitch — completely
  9. charge — a price
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. foot — a measure

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