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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spell — magic
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. race — humankind
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — letters
  15. race — a contest
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. pop — soda
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bass — low music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — music

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