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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 · fine · pop · tube · fan · saw · season · toast

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — a path
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — a song
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pop — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pop — to visit

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