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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · prune · trunk · mark · track · tube · cap · mine

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. track — a song
  24. prune — to trim

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