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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: tube · saw · cabinet · pitcher · prune · stick · pass · staff

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — a stick

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