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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 120 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: suit · cue · field · bank · fork · clip · lie · prune

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lie — to recline
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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