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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — of a word
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — a signal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — the cause
  24. bank — of a river

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