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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bass — the fish
  3. roll — a list
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — a weight
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — a stone
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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