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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: stock · tube · cabinet · kid · pitch · pass · wake · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — shares
  23. kid — child
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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