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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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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: toast · bore · prune · jam · band · can · tube · bulb

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bore — to tire
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a music group
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. band — a ring
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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