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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 · cabinet · mark · track · toast · hide · pound · ground

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — a container
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — bread
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. track — a song
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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