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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: staff · board · bear · tube · pit · fan · track · land

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. track — a path
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — to get on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — a country
  24. board — a committee

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