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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. mine — for digging
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — a country
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — ground
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to drill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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