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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bound — certain
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pop — soda
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bound — obliged

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