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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — a committee
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tube — the underground
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to point toward
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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