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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. race — the arms race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bank — of a river
  9. roll — a list
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. race — humankind
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. race — a contest

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