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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — a path
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. board — a committee
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mate — a partner

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