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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — in music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — size or range
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. net — after costs
  24. prune — the fruit

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