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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. mug — a face
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. tube — the underground
  21. field — a subject
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — to rob

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