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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — size or range
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — the amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — the arms race
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — in music
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. race — humankind
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — to crush

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