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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. capital — a city
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. track — a path
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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