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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · land · spring · track · game · can · bowl · tube

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — a tin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — a song
  7. game — a match
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. land — a country

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