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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: cap · bank · mug · ball · field · bark · pitcher · prune

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — the fruit

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