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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. net — after costs
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tube — a container
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. swing — in golf
  21. tube — the underground
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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