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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — after costs
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. net — in sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — the underground

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