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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. can — a tin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — ground
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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