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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: object · track · bound · tube · sharp · cue · ground · coach

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — a container
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bound — certain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. object — an aim

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