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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — a container
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — a group
  24. content — the amount

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