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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a path
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a song
  11. fall — the season
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a word
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — on your feet

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