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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — finally
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. present — there
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — the sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. last — final
  24. present — a gift

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