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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — to eat
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rock — music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fan — a supporter

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