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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.

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: track · arm · last · root · stock · tube · mouse · perch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — finally
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. perch — the fish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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