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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mug — a face
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spring — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a path
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a song
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pop — music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — to breed

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