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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — in sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — a trail
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a path
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — a partner
  24. prune — the fruit

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