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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bank — of a river
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — a group
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for dancing

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