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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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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a tool
  3. track — a song
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — hurry
  14. file — a document
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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