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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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. track — to keep track
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — to protest
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tube — a container
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — of ice
  16. object — an aim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — the underground
  24. object — a thing

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