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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — a container
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. field — for sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — a subject
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — to move gently

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