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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 120 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: calf · prune · pitcher · content · land · pop · bank · kick

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — the amount
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — music
  12. bank — of a river
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. land — a country
  17. pop — soda
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — to come down

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