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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
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: wound · date · prune · hide · jam · degree · bank · ball

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ball — a great time
  11. degree — temperature
  12. prune — to trim
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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