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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. chip — to eat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — the underground
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — a friend
  20. track — a song
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a handicraft

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