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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — a big deal

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