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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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