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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. track — a song
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bank — for money

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