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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: staff · cabinet · prune · game · toast · pit · cell · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pit — a hole
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pit — in a race
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — bread

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