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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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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 · root · bank · court · stick · prune · row · date

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — a line
  16. present — the time now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — there
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a word
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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