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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — of the year
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — what's left
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — a contest
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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