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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — a path
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. degree — from a university
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — a weight

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