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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. tube — a container
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spring — the season
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spring — of water
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — a thrill

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