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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a document
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. bank — of a river
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — the season
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bass — low music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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