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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: suit · track · mine · rock · tube · drill · foot · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. drill — a practice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  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