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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: pit · prune · stem · bay · straw · can · bank · march

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — of a river
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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