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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: present · prune · toast · march · last · bank · bark · rock

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — a stone
  6. last — finally
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — bread
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. present — there
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. march — music
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rock — music
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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