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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. track — a path
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — a song
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — of a river
  17. race — humankind
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — the arms race

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