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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stand — to bear
  3. staff — a stick
  4. club — for golf
  5. track — to keep track
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — a group
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — army training
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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