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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: bank · prune · pop · content · dip · suit · perch · shower

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. suit — clothes
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — rain
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — the amount

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