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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bank — of a river
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — the fruit
  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