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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — the underground
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. game — a match

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