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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. track — a path
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — a song
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — low music
  20. rock — music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — in a tire
  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