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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: tube · charge · wax · pitch · spell · prune · present · stick

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — a container
  4. present — there
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — the time now
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — in control

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