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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — in sport
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — a container
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — hurry

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