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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — to be able to

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