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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 120 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: fan · row · bank · prune · spring · pitcher · rush · mark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a line
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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