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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — the fruit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — to get on
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bank — of a river
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — low music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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