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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a face
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pop — to visit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mark — a trace
  21. content — the amount
  22. pop — soda
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fork — to eat with

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