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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. board — a committee
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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