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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.

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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 · shower · mouse · chip · board · stock · bore · pound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — to eat
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. shower — rain
  13. bore — to drill
  14. board — to get on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stock — goods
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a flat piece

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