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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 120 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: ball · band · root · tube · track · foot · mark · mouse

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a song
  3. band — a music group
  4. tube — a container
  5. track — a path
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. track — to keep track
  23. root — the cause
  24. mouse — the animal

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