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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: cell · ground · perch · suit · can · bank · prune · pitcher

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ground — a position
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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