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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: arm · pound · cue · nail · prune · march · toast · bank

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cue — a signal
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — a weight
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a hint

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