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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: roll · fine · ground · pass · track · net · tube · bay

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. tube — a container
  3. pass — a permit
  4. track — a song
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ground — a position
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — for catching
  15. ground — the earth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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