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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — a container
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bank — of a river
  13. game — a match
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — in sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. leaves — lets stay

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