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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · bank · perch · prune · tube · band · date · squash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. perch — the fish
  4. band — a ring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a music group
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — a container
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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