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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — in a race
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pit — a hole

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