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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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