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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — the underground

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