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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a path
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. track — to keep track
  24. drill — army training

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