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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. band — a music group
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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