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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — for betting
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — low music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a trace

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