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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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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 · chest · pitch · tube · content · calf · ruler · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — the amount
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chest — a box
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — gave birth

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