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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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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: bank · racket · board · pop · sharp · land · prune · face

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — to come down
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. land — a country
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — to confront
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — ground
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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