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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — to eat

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