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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. staff — employees
  12. cold — an illness
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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