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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — happy
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — decided
  21. bank — of a river
  22. firm — steady
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. board — a flat piece

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