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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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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: present · deal · tube · chip · tear · pit · sharp · calf

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — there
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. present — the time now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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