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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: prune · root · season · kid · vault · fork · drill · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — in a road
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — of the year
  7. root — of a word
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — army training
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kid — child

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