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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a hat
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pass — to spend time

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