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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: pitcher · pop · wake · temple · tube · prune · chip · swing

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — soda
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pop — to visit

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