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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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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 · bank · patient · date · root · prune · stick · tube

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — of a river
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — the cause
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pit — a hole

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