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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: arm · chip · pit · board · deal · tube · can · cold

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pit — in a race
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cold — not warm
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. board — to get on

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