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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 124 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: track · fan · tube · mouse · squash · fine · land · season

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. land — ground
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. season — of the year
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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