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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — in sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lean — thin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lean — to bend

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