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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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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: date · prune · roll · race · bank · lie · cap · track

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — a contest
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — the fruit
  13. track — a song
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bank — of a river
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lie — to recline

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