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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: track · fork · march · bowl · file · ruler · toast · tube

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tube — the underground
  13. file — a line of people
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — bread
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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