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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. game — a match
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pop — soda
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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