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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.

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: mouse · tube · prune · march · race · track · press · cabinet

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. race — the arms race

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