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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — in music
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — low music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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