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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: tube · pit · nail · game · rest · pop · bore · ground

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — a position
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a match
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pop — soda

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