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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 120 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: tube · can · stem · mouse · prune · court · cell · press

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. can — to be able to
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — newspapers
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in biology

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