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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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468
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: bank · wake · prune · degree · rock · march · trunk · ruler

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wake — a trail
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rock — music

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