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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — to crush
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a document
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — there
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — the sport

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