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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: bank · cabinet · season · rock · sharp · land · stand · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. land — a country
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — ground
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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