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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
468
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: fork · shower · mug · pound · track · tube · trunk · date

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. shower — rain
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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