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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cue — a hint
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — of water
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — the underground
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tube — a container
  18. cue — a signal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mate — a friend

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