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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: drill · content · season · track · rock · stem · tube · roll

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — to come from
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — to keep track
  15. roll — a list
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — the tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tube — a container
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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