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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — high quality
  4. date — the fruit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — all right
  24. cabinet — ministers

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