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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a document
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — a group
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — of a river
  24. file — a line of people

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