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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — a list
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a cake
  15. swing — to play on
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — to go on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. shower — to wash

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