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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · tube · stick · wake · mark · rock · cap · ball

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — music

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