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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. object — to protest
  5. track — a path
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cell — in biology
  21. track — a song
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cell — in a prison

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