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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: dip · prune · mouse · march · bank · ruler · cap · jam

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — of ice
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. jam — a tight spot

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