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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — the season
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ground — a position
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. firm — decided
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — rain
  24. ground — the earth

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