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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mug — to rob
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — money
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — a city
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — a cup
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — the underground

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