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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 · band · pit · bowl · hide · fan · toast · bank

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. band — a music group
  24. pit — in a race

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