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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: scale · prune · rock · snap · bank · leaves · bore · fork

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. scale — in music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — a stone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bank — of a river
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — to eat 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