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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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