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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 · rash · prune · key · bulb · board · track · court

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — a song
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — a path
  15. court — of law
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — to get on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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