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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 · current · prune · plane · band · foot · squash · season

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a music group
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a ring
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — in sport

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