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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: ball · tube · track · bulb · nail · coach · pitch · perch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — for light

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