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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. track — to keep track
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — happy
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — a path
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — a contest

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