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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 · content · track · bat · pop · prune · safe · firm

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — a company
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bat — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. track — a song
  18. firm — steady
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pop — music
  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