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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: pitcher · rash · toast · mark · prune · bank · pound · hide

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — bread
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pound — a weight
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — to hit hard

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