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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 · tube · last · sharp · bound · band · racket · prune

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a ring
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. sharp — clever
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. tube — the underground

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