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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · object · ground · mug · rest · perch · track · bank

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — to protest
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — an aim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — a thing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a face

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