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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — a permit
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — a thing
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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