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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spell — a short time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — letters
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — a weight

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