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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: march · plane · net · ball · prune · trunk · racket · bank

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — after costs
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — for catching
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a great time
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. plane — in geometry

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