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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cold — not warm
  18. track — a song
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. track — a path
  24. safe — out of danger

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