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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: bore · squash · band · wake · ground · can · track · tube

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ground — crushed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — the earth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a ring
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to drill

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