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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · mouse · mine · prune · deal · bank · pop · fine

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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