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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. spring — of water
  22. pop — soda
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spring — a coil

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