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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: swing · bank · suit · fall · track · prune · squash · cabinet

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. track — a path
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — of a river
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — to play on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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