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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · prune · stick · stand · cue · tube · net · pit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — to go on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — in sport
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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