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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: toast · prune · bank · club · last · cue · bear · rock

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for golf
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — a group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. last — final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — finally

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