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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: can · mate · swing · tube · straw · wake · mark · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — a friend
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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