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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: track · straw · capital · tube · stand · root · bore · rest

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a song
  14. root — the cause
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — in a tire

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