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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — goods
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — a partner
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mate — a friend

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