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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 124 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stock — shares
  17. ground — crushed
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — electricity

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