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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 116 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: prune · suit · rock · bat · lean · pitch · tube · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitch — completely
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rock — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. suit — clothes

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