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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: foot · pitcher · plane · ground · tube · track · press · bay

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ground — crushed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. press — to push
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — a container

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