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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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