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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: lash · toast · prune · ground · content · bank · cue · bat

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. content — happy
  10. bat — the animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bank — for money
  24. cue — for pool

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