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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · key · mug · leaves · cold · suit · tube · pitch

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — a container
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cold — an illness
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — completely
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — not warm
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mug — to rob

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