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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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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: mug · prune · tube · mate · stick · cap · patient · board

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — to get on

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