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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. stand — to bear
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — for money
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. can — to be able to
  20. track — to keep track
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  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