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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — the underground
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — to visit
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a hat

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