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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 116 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: prune · bear · racket · bank · mark · band · board · kick

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — a committee
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — to put up with

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