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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — a position
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. racket — a loud noise

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