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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. band — a ring
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. band — a rubber band
  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