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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: current · bound · drill · mate · prune · date · bank · bowl

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — a partner
  5. drill — army training
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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