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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — a song
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — a container
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. can — a tin

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