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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — a gift
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — the time now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — for sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — a line
  16. court — of a king
  17. row — to paddle
  18. court — of law
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — there
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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