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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: pop · stem · prune · bank · fan · rock · court · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — music
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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