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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: kid · pit · snap · mine · mouse · track · tube · nail

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. track — a path
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. snap — to click
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — a song
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — the underground
  18. track — to keep track
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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