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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — a container
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — for digging
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ground — the earth
  24. content — the amount

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