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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — steady
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — a measure
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a face
  13. object — a thing
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — a coil
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — the season

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