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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — for catching
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. board — to get on
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a committee
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — after costs
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bank — for money

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