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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: pit · club · date · prune · rock · bank · tube · fan

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — a container
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. club — for golf
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for dancing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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