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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: track · tube · staff · straw · prune · march · net · calf

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. march — the month
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — after costs
  7. staff — a stick
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tube — a container
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — in sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — for catching
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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