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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: prune · leaves · rule · pitch · foot · bulb · nail · tube

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — a measure
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rule — government
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. foot — part of the body
  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