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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bank — of a river
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. date — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. land — to come down
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. squash — the sport

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