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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 120 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — goods
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — a coil
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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