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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — soda
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bank — of a river
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. field — a subject
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — a song
  21. field — for sport
  22. cell — in biology
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — a phone

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