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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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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — of a river
  10. roll — a cake
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — a list

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