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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: mark · tube · prune · ball · leaves · saw · jam · straw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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