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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: stick · drill · can · object · game · tube · prune · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. object — an aim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — army training
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — a thing
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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