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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. drill — army training
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — ground
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. track — a path
  19. land — a country
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — to come down
  24. trunk — of a car

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