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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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Word bank
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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: prune · deal · plane · capital · content · rock · foot · bank

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — money
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. deal — to handle
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rock — a stone
  23. capital — a city
  24. prune — to trim

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