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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: bore · net · ruler · bat · tube · rush · swing · chip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — after costs
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — music

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