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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — a position
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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