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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: calf · wound · prune · chip · pop · march · bank · scale

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. calf — of the leg

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