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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — the fruit

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