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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a path
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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