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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: current · bank · mug · pitch · prune · tube · can · bear

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — of water
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitch — a sports field

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