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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. nail — on a finger

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