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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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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — magic
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — a short time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a path

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