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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: bank · season · stick · rock · prune · foot · pop · kid

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — music
  11. kid — child
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — of a river
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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