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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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