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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a song
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — a path

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