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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fine — high quality
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cap — a lid
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — to keep track
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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