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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: scale · bass · tear · root · deal · row · bank · prune

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — of a river
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bass — low music
  24. tear — from crying

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