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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. club — for golf
  3. season — in sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — in a race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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