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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: ball · board · bound · tube · track · pop · hide · deal

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — certain
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — to get on
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a great time

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