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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — a practice
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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