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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — in a tire

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