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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: kick · bank · field · rule · ball · prune · pound · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — in football
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — government
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rule — a law
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — a subject

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