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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — for golf
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — a container
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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