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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: tube · roll · cell · track · staff · date · mouse · pop

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — a list
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. date — the fruit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — the underground
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — employees

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