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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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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: track · drill · shower · kid · prune · cue · cabinet · bank

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — for pool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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