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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · tube · club · chair · present · can · stick · prune

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — a container
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. present — a gift
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — a leader
  18. present — there
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — to be able to

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