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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: band · mark · dip · prune · march · tube · pitch · foot

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to dunk

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