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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hand — in cards
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — a thing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — to protest

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