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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 116 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: board · perch · mark · tube · game · track · can · nail

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — a committee
  13. game — wild animals
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — a song

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