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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rock · craft · rush · chest · chip · pit · board

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. board — to get on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — for betting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chip — in a computer

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