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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
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: coach · tube · prune · club · suit · pit · patient · pitcher

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — for dancing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — in a race
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. prune — the fruit

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