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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: cap · jam · fan · ground · rock · rush · prune · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — crushed
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — a position
  24. rock — music

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