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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: bore · tear · chip · tube · vault · press · pitch · wax

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chip — to eat
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — a container
  23. tear — to rip
  24. press — to push

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