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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: trunk · track · field · land · can · mug · tube · cap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — a country
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — farmland
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. field — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mug — a face
  24. cap — a hat

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