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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 · chip · snap · kick · tube · pitcher · march · trunk

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — music
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. trunk — of a car

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