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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — a container
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — in a road
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fork — to eat with

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