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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. land — ground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — to move gently

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