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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: pit · bat · bank · mouse · leaves · march · object · prune

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — to protest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. march — the month
  24. object — an aim

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