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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: tube · bark · patient · pitch · band · track · cap · net

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — in sport
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a hat
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a music group
  18. net — after costs
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a ring
  24. patient — a sick person

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