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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wake — a trail
  4. file — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. file — a document
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chest — a box
  23. club — for golf
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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