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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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