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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 120 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
468
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: pass · tube · fall · game · band · ball · prune · perch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — the season
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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