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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — the time now
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — completely
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — a gift
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — a song
  24. suit — in cards

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