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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — to be able to

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