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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · stock · mate · tear · prune · cue · drill · bank

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mate — a friend
  20. drill — army training
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — of ice

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