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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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