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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: tube · date · deal · season · prune · object · can · spring

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — a container
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — of water
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — the underground
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — a thing
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. can — a tin
  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