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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — for golf
  24. cold — the Cold War

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