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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: court · march · rock · present · stick · squash · prune · bank

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rock — a stone
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — there
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — of a river
  9. court — of law
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — music
  12. march — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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