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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 120 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: pitch · land · file · key · prune · tube · can · rule

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. file — a line of people
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — government
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — a country
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — ground
  24. rule — a law

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