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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: prune · tube · fine · bark · season · pop · lean · pitcher

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — soda
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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