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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: firm · prune · board · pitcher · mouse · sharp · bank · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. firm — decided
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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