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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: mine · wound · prune · deal · cabinet · court · bank · vault

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — of law
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — for digging
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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