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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.

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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 · last · tube · band · bear · row · scale · saw

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — to go on
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — a line
  14. track — a path
  15. row — to paddle
  16. band — a music group
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — the underground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. last — final
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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