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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. court — of law
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — music

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