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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: jam · mate · track · rush · ball · tube · lean · scale

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — a container
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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