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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: bank · prune · dip · kid · bowl · net · toast · bay

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. kid — child
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — bread

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