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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 120 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: ball · mate · saw · bank · prune · key · fall · race

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — a contest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — in music
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fall — the season
  17. ball — a dance
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — humankind
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a partner

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