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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 116 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: hide · prune · fork · bulb · capital · present · pop · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pop — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — there
  7. capital — money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. capital — a city
  23. present — the time now
  24. pop — soda

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