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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — a path
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitcher — a jug

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