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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: pitcher · prune · sharp · rush · charge · bay · tube · wind

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  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