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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 120 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: rash · tube · track · fine · chip · object · mark · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — an aim
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — to go on
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — a song
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fine — high quality

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