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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — in the ear

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