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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — soda
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — a law
  24. can — to be able to

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