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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — for catching

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