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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: mine · leaves · swing · spell · stock · bowl · tube · prune

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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