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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. bank — for money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — all right
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bank — of a river
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cue — a signal
  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