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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: track · tube · clip · spell · rest · stand · mouse · kid

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tube — a container
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — magic
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — a short time
  14. track — a path
  15. kid — to tease
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spell — letters
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — the underground

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