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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rock — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — size or range
  18. board — to get on

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