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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a music group

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