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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — the time now
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. track — a song
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — there
  18. pop — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — a group

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