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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — a practice
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — in a race
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. drill — army training

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