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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 116 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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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: stem · kick · tube · track · perch · squash · deal · pit

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — the fish
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — to keep track
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tube — in a tire

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