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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: kid · rest · can · tube · march · prune · spring · racket

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tube — a container
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kid — to tease
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — to trim

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