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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — after costs
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — a song
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — soda
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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