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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mug — a cup
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — in sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stand — to bear
  20. degree — from a university
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kick — in football
  24. season — of the year

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