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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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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: tube · pound · band · lie · racket · jam · prune · nail

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a music group
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — a tight spot

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