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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: date · foot · tube · spring · present · cue · jam · leaves

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. cue — a hint
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spring — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cue — a signal
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cue — for pool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spring — the season

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