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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — the season
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — a coil

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