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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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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: court · foot · bass · bore · tube · rash · press · chip

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — a container
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rash — a series
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. court — of a king
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. foot — the bottom

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