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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: swing · prune · nail · rest · pop · bank · degree · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bank — of a river
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — soda
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — in golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. degree — temperature
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — an amount

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