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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: toast · nail · wake · tube · kid · cabinet · pitch · chip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — child
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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