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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. track — a path
  18. pop — soda
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — a song

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