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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — a container
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — all right
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — certain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. prune — to trim

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