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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. tube — a container
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. staff — a stick

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