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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — for catching
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — humankind
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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