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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cell — a phone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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