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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: pop · bank · leaves · date · row · prune · pit · fall

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. prune — to trim
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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